Butter vending machine



July 27,1943.

S. CASTRO BUTTER/ VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan'. s, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheer:I 1

Afrox/vn July 27 1943. s. cAs'rRo BUTTER VENDI-NG MACHINE Filed Jan. a, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 MM-Y ZON M Wm@ m www .m WWA. .n N .m 7 l Y B 4/ if 5 5.3 H nMLJ www ya 7 u, u,

Patented July 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n 'BUTTER VENDING MACHINE santiago castro, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application January 8, H1941, Serial No. 373,554

` -12 Claims. (c1. 194`1o This invention relates to:dispensing or vending machines, and has for its main object the provision of a novel and practical vending machine whereby patters of butter may be obtained by depositing a coin, such as a cent', for each patter.

In eating places, such as cafeteras, an amount of butter is usually served each patron With his portion .of bread, which is insufficient for many patro-ns, and the obtaining of an additional sup- `plv of butter is usually an inconvenient or diffiadditional patters of butter as desired,for a.

smallfcharge, and the attendants are freed of lil the inconvenience and trouble of having to serve such extra portions. f'

' The operation of the machine is simple, andy -been used up, it is likewise simple vto renew it with a whole new cartridge. The butter remains in the machine at all times in a refrigerated condition. Upon the insertion of a coin intol the coin slot, and the subsequent pulling of the lever at the bottom of the column, a single patter of butter is sheared oi the bottom of the cartridge and is discharged through the outlet at the bottom, availableto the patron. He may set a plate under the discharge opening and thus have the patter discharged onto the plate.

The above and other objects will become .apparent in the description below, in Whichcharacters of reference refer to similarly-numbered parts in the accompanyingr drawings whichfform a part hereof. t is to be understood that the drawingsy serve the purpose of illustration only, and it is not intended or desired to` limit the invention necessarily to the exact details shown on the drawings,4 excepting insofar as may .be within the scope of the invention.

Referring briefly, to the-drawings, Figure. v1 is a front elevational view of the-machine, which may be mounted on legs or any `other support,

not shown. v

Figure 2 -is a side elevational vview of the same.

lFigure 3 is a cross-sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

. Figure y4 is a fragmentary plan view'of the slidable shearing tongue.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view takenon the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional the line 6 6 of Figure 5.y Y Figure 7 is across-sectional view line I-I of Figure 5. f

Figure l8 is a cross-sectional View taken on .View taken .on

taken on the 1. the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a Wiring diagram.v

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I0 indicates the overallA housing containing `the device, this housing having an extension housing AII forward thereof. A tray I2 is mounted under the extension lI I, and the latter is divided into .a plurality of horizontally spaced vertical compartments I3. A door I4 is hingedly mounted above the extension housing II and is adapted to be swung upward to give access to the compartmentsV I3; key-locking means are provided to lock the door in closed position. I

I n the interior I5 of the main housing I0, any suitable refrigerating unit, shown at 33, may be provided. One or more outlets lfor cold air into the housing I4are shown at 34. The compartments I3 are open at the rear so that free communication, or circulation of air, is provided` between the compartments I 5 and I3; thus, the contents ofthe compartments I3 are maintained at a low or refrigerated temperature.

AA. coin slot I6 is provided on one side of th housing IIII,y and a coin chute I'I extends downward therefrom. A door I8, hinged at I9 to the bottom' of the chute I'I, provides normalclosing means Vvfor the bottom of the chute. This door isfin the form of a simple lever and has an arm 2B extending from the fulcruin thereof.- Apin 2 I onthearm 20 is slidably engagedr in the vertical slot 22 of a vertical rod 23.

A contact closing ap 24 is `hingedly mounted at 25 to the rear wall of the chute I1, above an opening 26 in said wall. A iine coiled spring vsurrounds the hinge 25 and normally urges the flap 24 in a clockwise direction; a limit stop 21 retains the flap 2 4 in the normal raised position shown. A bracket 28, of insulating material, is secured to the outside of the rearwall ofthe chute I1 and is provided with a pair of spaced contacts 29 `which project through the bracket 28 into the opening 26. A metallic plate 30 is secured to the underside of the flap 24, separated therefrom by insulation. When a Vcoin is dropped into the ,slot I6 and falls down the chute, the weight thereof, resting. against the ap 24,-forces all of the compartments by mere duplication. All

but the lower portion of the front of the extension housing II is covered by a glass panel 35 set in a frame 36. this front wall, a plurality of knobs or handles 38, each xed to a cross-bar 39, are provided, one' knob for each compartment I3. The compartments are normally closed at the bottom by a horizontal plate 40, which will be described fur- In the lower portion 31 of ther below. A column of butter 4I, square in cross-section, is mounted upright in each compartment. I3 and rests on 'the plate 40 in each compartment. On top of each column o! butter, a weight 43 is placed, to urge the column downward at all times. For sanitary reasons, the column of .butter is wrapped in ltissue or wax paper, t

or cardboard, 43, which is perforated peripherally along spaced horizontal planes, the vertical distance between the pero'rations 44 denning the thickness or height of each patter of butter. therein a vertical tube 45, square in' cross-section, whose front side has the opening 46 therein so as to' give visibility to the column through the front glass' 35; and it is Vwithin this tube that the column of butter is mounted. The opposed side walls 41 of the tube 45 are provided with vertical slots 46, in which opposed lugs 49 on the weight 42 register. p

VThe cross-bar 99 has a pair of spaced parallel biS 5 Tigid With the ends thereof and Bibending slidably rearward through vertical slots, not shown, in the panel 31 and the dividing Wall 5I between the housings I9 and I I. The inner portions of the bars 5U have racks 52 on their upper Supported in ears 53 is a horizontal shaft il having-spaced pinions 55 rigid thereon and in with the racks 52. A hoiizontal slot or opening 96 passes through the wall 5I just below the iowerr'nost end of the rigid tube 66, and a verticallyv slidable door 51 is mounted rearward of this opening against the wall 5I; the door 51 is slidable in vertical guides 58 and has integral therewith, on each side, a vertical rack 9'9. racks 59 are also in mesh with the pinions 66.

It is thus obvious that pulling out the knob 39 'draws out the bars 50, rotates the pinions 55 in a clockwise direction and causes the latter to raise the door 51. A

The plate 40, above-mentioned, passes slidably through an opening through the wall 5I, and it has depending from each side edge thereof a rigid flange 66 provided with rack teeth along its lower edge. These flanges or racks 69 also pass slidably through openings in the wall 5I, together with the plate 40. Pinions 62, rigid on the shaft 63 supported in the ears 64 againstthe Wall 5I, are in mesh with the racks 66. The pinions 62 are also in mesh with the racks 59. It is thus apparent that as the door-opening racks 59 are raised,

afsabo've described, the plate 46 is simultaneously i drawn rearward. s

A knife blade 65 is secured at its widened rear end 66 between the racks 59, and "has an upright cross member 61 rising above the racks 50. A spring 68, anchored to the rear wallonne hou Each compartment I3 has rigidly mounted y .frigor-ated column of butter.

ing I0 and secured to the member 61, normally urges the knife 65 rearward. A series of loops 0f a heating wire 68 are mounted within the blade 65, and the terminals of this wire are shown at 69.

Mounted beneath the blade 65 is a solenoid 10 having its armature 1I secured in the arms 12 which are rigid on a pivotally mounted horizontal shaft 13. One arm 12 has an extension 14.in which a spring 15,l anchored to the floor of the housing, is secured; this spring normally urges the armature upward, away from the solenoid. Each rack 50 has an indent 16 in its lower edge, in which the noses 11 (one on each arm 12) normally register so as to prevent withdrawal,

forward, of the bars 50.

As shown in the wiring diagram, when a coin falls to the bottom of the chute I1 and closes the circuit through the Contacts 29, current flows simultaneously through the heating wire 68 of the knife 65, heating the' knife, and through the solenoid 16, drawing down the armature 1I and the arms 12 and releasing the dogs 11 from the indents 1l; whence the knob 39 may be' drawn forward. The knife 65 and its heating element 66 would of course be so constructed that the knife would become quite warm, or hot, within a very small space of time after the said contact is closed. The elevation of the blade edge above the plate 46 is, of course, equal to the vertical distance' between the perforations 44 in the wrapper 43 around the column of butter 4I. As soon as the" knob 38 moves forward, then, the door 51 begins to rise and the plate 46` begins to recede. By the time the cutting or forward edge of the blade 65 reaches the opening 56 the door will have risen above this opening so that the blade may pass through. The heated blade will readily cut through the butter and its perforated wrapper, and when it .has passed forward to the limit of its movement, as set by the upright 61 which serves as a limit stop, it will have sheared oif the lowermost patter of butter; and as the plate 4l will by that time have receded `from the tube 45, the sheared patter will fall into kthe tray I2. Upon release of the knob it and its associated parts will, because of the springs 66 and 15, resume their former or inactive positions; and the column of butter will fall to rest again on the plate 4I.

The rod 23 is pivoted at its lower end vto the top of one rack 56. A spring 18 normally holds the door IB closed, as shown. It is apparent that, as the racks 59 rise in accordance with the operation described above, the bar 23 will also rise, and when the racks 59 have reached the peak of their upward movement the bar 23 will have risen suflicientlyfto cause the lower end of the Slot 22 therein to trip the door I9 and permit the f coin in the chute to fall into the coin box, thus tahEDUSTy.

v'Ihe knife blade B6 .may be used either with the heating element Vdescribed or Without it, as

is obvious. The 'closing of the-door v51 serves to insulate the still warm blade 65 from the re- If the heating element vof the Aknife is omitted, this door and its operating mechanism could be dispensed with. The ycolumn of butter, turthermore, ycould be cut intofseparate pattersprior toinsertio'n into' y'the compartment I3, with each `patter 4separately wrapped in tissue paper, but this would be more expensive. It is believed that the vmachine as illustrated and described is most eiiicient and economicalin operation, and will completely fulfill the objects set forth.' l, s

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: K

1. A machine comprising a housing having -a vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mounted therein, a member slidably mounted in the front and rear wall of the compartmentand having ahandle secured thereon forward of said front wall, aplate slidably mounted in said rear wall and normally protruding into said housing, said column resting by gravity on said plate, a knife secured to said member, said rearwall having a horif zontal opening therethrough `on theY level of. said knife, and means connecting said member and said plate for movingl said plate rearward Vsimili-- taneously as said member is pulledA forward, the pulling forward of said member causing said knife to pass throughsaid opening and shear off the lowerend of said column, said means comprising a rack on` said member and a rack on said plate, an intermediate vertical rack, and pinions connecting said rst two racks with said intermediate rack. f

2. A Vmachine comprising a housing having a vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mounted therein,v a

member slidably mounted in the front and rear walls of thel compartment, a Aplate slidably mounted in said rear wall, said column resting by gravity on said plate, a horizontal knife secured to said member and normally protruding into said housing, said rear wall having a horizontal opening therethrough on the level of said knife, a door vertically slidably mounted on said rear Wall against said opening, and means connecting said member, said plate and said door for moving said plate rearward and sliding said door clear of said opening simultaneously as said member is pulled forward, the pulling of saidr member forward causing said knife to pass through said opening and shear off the lower end of said column.

3. A machine comprising a housing having a l vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mounted therein, a member slidably mounted in the front and rear walls of the compartment, a plate slidably mounted in said rear wall, said column resting by gravity on said plate, a horizontal knife secured to said member and normally protruding into said housing, said rear Wall having a horizontal opening therethrough on the level of said knife, a door vertically slidably mounted on said rear wall against said opening, and means connecting said member, said plate and said door for moving said plate rearward and sliding said door clear of said opening simultaneously as said member is pulled forward, the pulling of said member forward causingsaid knife to pass through said. opening and shear oif the lower end of said column, and means for restoring said member, said plate, and said first-named means to normal position upon release of said member.

4, A machine comprising a housing having a vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mounted therein, a member slidably mounted inthe front and rear walls of the compartment and having a handle secured thereon,v forward of said front wall, a plate slidably mounted in said rear wall and normally protruding into said housing, said column resting by gravity on said plate, a knife secured to said member, vsaid rear wall having a ,horizontal opening therethrough on the level of said knife, .and means connecting said member and said plate for moving said plate rearward simultaneously as said member is pulled forward, the pulling forward of said member causing said knife to pass through said opening and shear off the lower end of said column, said knife having electrical heating means, releasable locking means normally locking said first-named means against said pulling out of said member, and coin-operated electrical means for simultaneously releasing saidulocking means and energizing said heating means.

5. A machine' comprising a housing having a vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mountedptherein, ya member slidably mounted in the front and rear walls. of the compartment and having a handle secured thereon forward'of said front wall, a

plate slidablyv mounted in vsaidl rear wall and normally protruding into said housing, said column lrestingby gravity onmsaid plate, a knife secured to said member, said rear wall having a horizontal opening therethrough on the level o f said knife, and means connecting said member and said plate for moving said plate rearward simultaneously as said member is pulled forward, the pulling forward of said member cau.,- -ing said knife to passthrough said openingand shear ofi vthe lower end of said column, said knife having an electrical heating element therein, a source of electricity, a coin operated switch in circuit with said element and said source, saidk switch having means forclosing said circuit upon inserting a coin into the machine, releasable locking means normally locking said first-named means against said pulling out,

electrical means for releasing said locking means,`

said switch and said electrical means being in parallel circuit with said source.

6. A machine comprising a housing having a vertical compartment therein adapted to have a column of butter slidably mounted therein, a member slidably mounted `in the front and rear walls of the compartment and having a handle secured thereon forward of said front wall, a plate slidably mounted in said rear wall and normally protruding into said housing, said column resting by gravity on said plate, a knife secured to said member, said rear wall havingv a horizontal opening therethrough on the level of said knife, and means connecting said member and said plate for moving said plate rearward simultaneously as said member is pulled for-` ward, the lpulling forward of said member causing said knife to pass through said opening and shear off the lower end of said column, said knife having an electrical heating element therein, a sourcecf electricity, a coin operated switch in circuit with said element and said source, said` switch havin'grmeans for closing said circuit upon inserting a coin into the machine, releasable locking means normally locking said first-named means against said pulling out, electrical means for releasing said locking means, said switch and said electrical means being in parallel circuit with said source, and means for simultaneously releasing the coin and opening said switch when said member has been pulled forward to its maximum. 

